What to reintroduce first - T4 or T3?

[Schenks]

Need some advice, please? After the glycerol trinitrate bum cream debacle, that has left me feeling not quite right even now, 10 days later, I stopped all thyroxine supplementation from Friday morning last. You see, from a pulse rate of between 60-65 and a BP that was around 110/75, after using the damned cream my BP shot up to 131/85 and my pulse rate was between 85-95. I had a splitting headache, felt utterly nauseated, head ultra-swimmy and my guts were gippy for days, so I decided the only way to get the pulse rate etc down was to just stop the thyroxine supplements.

Wightmouse told me she had a very similar reaction and reckoned it was the T3 - and I think so too, because when I took the T3 (in the Nature-throid) after using the damned stuff, my heart rate went through the roof and the other symptoms with it.

After missing the first morning dose of both the 75mcg of Levo as well as the 1 grain of Nature-throid, my head felt less splitting and I sensed things were stabilising. It's taken since Friday morning, not taking any meds (I reckoned that if the LDN was actually working as it should, then I will be making my own T3 and therefore rT3 - so better stop the T4 as well), but my resting BP before getting out of bed this morning was 113/75 ... much better. My head is only swimmy from time to time (when I turn too quickly), the headache gone and my heart rate is down to around 65-68 resting, so getting back to normal. But I still feel slightly nauseated and my guts are tender.

The thing is, how do I know what the hell is going on? It was triggered by the TNT (dynamite up the jacksy) for sure, but has calmed down with stopping the meds. I know I'll have T4 in my system for a good while yet, so do you think I should just take the 1 grain of Nature-throid, or just the T4? I think whichever it is will be introduced slowly, but i am a bit uncertain and would welcome a discussion.

I'm seeing Iron Knickers (GP) in the morning anyway, for the 1st of my B12 injections, hopefully (I'll know by the afternoon if I'm B12 deficient, don't you think?) so I'll tell her about it, but since she's clueless on thyroid matters (what's new?) it will be a lip-service exercise only. Apart from insisting it goes into my notes, so if I God forbid drop dead, the BH will be able to sue the Alpha Bitch.

Any advice, suggestions or mootings would be gratefully received.

x

[Ruthi]

OK,so glycerol trinitrate is used in heart failure and angina, basically to increase the efficiency of a failing heart. And the data says to be used with caution in hypo patients. So Iron tKnickers has dropped a clanger!

I didn't read up on how it acts, but my guess is that there is no direct interaction between that and thyroid hormones. So once you are back to normal BP you should be safe to re-introduce your T4 and NDT. You will be pretty safe to just take all the missed T4 tablets in one go to get your T4 reserves back towards normal. But I would go steady with the NDT and up that by a quarter tablet every few days.

Got faster if you have any hypo symptoms creeping back, of course.

[Schenks in reply to Ruthi]

Sounds like a plan - I haven't a clue as to what the heck went wrong, but I think reintroducing the T4 might be the best way forwards.

I've just finished reading the thyroid section of the LDN book that's just out, and I'm seriously wondering if indeed my T3 conversion levels are gaining ground also. I think, since I've had no thyroid for three days now, it'd be interesting to see what my bloods reveal.

Anyway, thanks Ruthi.

[Ruthi in reply to Schenks]

What is the LDN book called?

[Schenks in reply to Ruthi]

The LDN Book! It came out last March. I've only read the chapter on thyroid so far, but it makes more sense on the subject, and is therefore more informative and comprehensible than any of the other books dedicated to thyroid issues I've bought so far.

[Ruthi]

Time I bought it!

[Schenks in reply to Ruthi]

I think you will be fascinated at the very least. Amazon.